Do the Dana 44s really need reinforcement? Also, does anyone have a pic of exactly what is being done to the axle?

Thanks,

Flash

 

If you wheel your Rubicon moderatley to hard yes they are needed. The Factory C's are pretty poor. If it is just a daily driver or used for basic off-roading (nothing more that the occasional poor road or fishing spot) then you dont need them.

I don't have a pic but what the gussets do is to add further triangulation between the top of the C and the axle tube.

 

Yeah. They really do.

 

Here's a pic of how mine are done. Just took with the phone so the pic isn't very big but you might get the concept.

 

I have wheeled mine fairly hard and I am all stock. IMHO If you don't add lots of wheel weight with bigger tires or changing the scrub radius why would you need to weld stuff on a forging. I have read lots of posts but i really wonder if having a weld point which creates a stress riser is really what you want.

Again I dont have a modified rig so maybe I just dont understand all the loading issues.

To me if you stay off the skinny pedal you dont break stuff . You dont want to bounce the rig which snap axles or bend things. But again I have a Rubi and I use 4 low and go slow and crawl thru stuff. Those who have bent C's can maybe tell us, the what, where, and why, they bent stuff.

 

The welder's technique will prevent heat damage to the axle and ball joints.( weld a little here, weld a little there, go back and weld a little more here, etc., etc...

 

for under $50 why wouldn't you?

 

The front D44 tubes are not as think as the rear D44. The front D44 tubes are actually the same tube thickness as the D30. These thin tubes are prone to bending. Also the Cs are longer than previous D44 versions and more prone to bending. So long story short the front axle housing is not up to the task and should be reinforced.

 

I will post pics of mine when I get the Jeep back on Wednesday!

 

if you wheel it easy or hard, parts break! beef up everything you can so the percentage for something to break is lower.
just my 2 cents